Bericht 13.pub - Kora

Juni 2002 Results9Table 2. Statistical analysis of the total number of spots per coat pattern type (n = 148).Coat pattern type Median 25% Quartile 75% Quartile min maxType 1 316.50 294.00 349.75 130.00 430.00Type 2 528.00 477.00 660.00 309.00 812.00Type 3 183.50 136.50 219.00 84.00 492.00Type 4a 630.00 586.00 714.00 335.00 812.00Type 4b 581.00 520.00 648.00 168.00 804.00number of spots per body area160.00100.0050.000.00Type 1 L/R1Type 1 L/R2Type 1 L/R3Type 2 L/R1Type 2 L/R2Type 2 L/R3Figure 2. Number of spots per body/coat area of the fivecoat pattern types (L1/R1: left/right shoulder, upper arm andforearm; L2/R2: left/right flank and back; L3/R3: left/rightfemur, hip and lower leg, Figure 1).With all this information the five coat pattern typeswere consequently definitively defined (Table 3): type1 with large spots (Figure 4), type 2 with small spots(Figure 5), type 3 without spots on shoulders, flanksand hips but spots on upper arms, femurs and legs(Figure 6). In type 4 (rosettes) I distinguished twotypes: type 4a with clear rosettes or small blotches(single spots were no more visual and the rosettesshowed circle-forms) (Figure 7) and 4b with smallspots and rudimentary rosettes (single spots were visualwithin rosettes) (Figure 8). The definition containedsize, form, number, color and distribution of spots inthe following body/coat areas: shoulder / upper arm,forearm, hand, femur / hip, lower leg, foot, flank anddorsum.3.2. Assignment of coat pattern typesTo assign all available individuals to one of the fivecoat pattern types it was important to look at all body/coat areas. Each coat pattern type showed variation andonly the analysis of the complete body allowed the assignmentto one type. According to the analysis ofnumbers of spots and the definition of types I created apath-diagram (Figure 9). First question: “are spots vis-Type 3 L/R1Type 3 L/R2Type 3 L/R3Type 4a L/R1Type 4a L/R2Type 4a L/R3coat pattern type and body areaType 4b L/R1Type 4b L/R2Type 4b L/R3ual on flanks or not?” (type 3 can be separated from theother four types); second question: “are rosettes identifiableor not?” (type 1 and 2 can be separated fromtype 4a and 4b). The question decision is between type1 and 2, concerns the size and number of spots and betweentype 4a and 4b about the clearness of rosettes.From a total of 342 individuals, 4 individuals (1.2%)could not be assigned to one of the five types. Betweenfemales (n = 70) and males (n = 53) (unknown n = 28)(df = 4, χ 2 = 2.6, P > 0.5) and young (juveniles &subadults, n = 55) and adult (n = 82) (unknown n= 14)animals (df = 4, χ 2 = 1.89, P > 0.5) there was no significantdifference. Consequently all individuals werepooled, including those with unidentifiable age andsex.3.3. Distribution of the different coat pattern typesData from six different populations were available(historical Swiss population, n = 21; recent populationof the Swiss Alps, n = 128; Jura Mts population, n =44; Slovakian population, n = 47; Slovenian population,n = 22; Croatian population, n = 45; total individuals:306, from 32 of total 338 assigned individualsno location data were available or they originated fromzoo populations, which I did not use). Lynx from Sloveniaand Croatia belong to the same re-introducedpopulation. As the occurrence of different coat patternsdid not differ between the two subsamples ( df = , χ 2 =5.52, P > 0.05), these animals were subsequentlypooled. Rosettes have shown up only in recent populations.However, coat pattern type 4a and 4b have onlyreached a considerable proportion in the re-introducedpopulation in the Alps (46% vs. 18-28%). For furtheranalyses type 4a and 4b were also pooled to “type 4”.The animals re-introduced into Switzerland and Slovenia/Croatiaoriginated from the same source populationin the Carpathian Mts of Slovakia. The comparisonbetween the source population in Slovakia and there-introduced population in the Jura Mts (df = 3, χ 2 =5.01, P > 0.05) and the population in Slovenia/Croatia(df = 3, χ 2 = 2.96, P > 0.05) showed a similar occurrenceof the four different coat pattern types (Figure10). In all three populations type 1 was dominant (over60%). Type 4 was represented between 18-28% andType 2 and 3 about 10%. A different development wasfound in the population of the Swiss Alps (df = 3, χ 2 =8.58, P < 0.05). Predominant was type 4 (46%). Type 1